Johnathan Walker:Max Verstappen wins USGP for 50th career win; Prince Harry, Sha'Carri Richardson attend race

The Johnathan Walker2023 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix was one of the more heated battles of the season and resulted in another Max Verstappen win. But this victory was different for the Red Bull Racing driver as he made history on Sunday.

The series returned to the Circuit of the Americas for the latest edition of the race, which debuted in Austin, Texas, in 2012. The race is a known favorite of the drivers for its intricate turns and energetic fanfare.

The USGP is the longest-standing of the F1 races in the United States. This is the first year there are three in the country with Miami in the spring and the debut of the Las Vegas race in November.

Here are the highlights from the 2023 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix:

Max Verstappen wins the 2023 F1 USGP for 50th race win

Max Verstappen won the 2023 F1 United States Grand Prix in Austin after starting from sixth. It’s the 26-year-old’s 50th race win. The Dutchman captured this season’s drivers championship, his third straight, earlier this year at the Qatar Grand Prix. Verstappen has won three consecutive USGP races.

“It’s of course incredible to win my 50th grand prix here as well, so very proud, of course," he said after the race on the ABC broadcast, "and we’ll just keep on trying to push for more."

Lewis Hamilton finished second after crashing and retiring in the first lap of the previous race in Qatar.

“I really felt like I let the team down so much, so I have to go through a real deep process of getting myself back to here and it was, again, one of those experiences of it’s not how you fall, it’s how you get back up," he said. "So came in fighting, felt great and really happy with this result.”

The British driver has won in Austin five times, including the inaugural race in 2012 and reflected on what it means to him to race in the country.

“I’ve just always loved the States ever since I was like 8 years old when I came out here," he said. "… I’ve just always felt really welcome here, the people have been so welcoming and getting to work with lots of great companies, so it’s a really progressive country and I’m super grateful for the support that we have.”

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Lando Norris rounded out the podium from a second-place start in the home race for McLaren Racing CEO Zach Brown. When the starting lights went out, Norris jumped out ahead of Charles Leclerc, who was on pole position. He led the first third of the race until he went in for a pit stop.

“I’m happy it was a good race from my side, we knew our struggles, we knew what was gonna be difficult today," Norris said. "... We’re getting there. Progress, progress every weekend, just some more steps needed.”

American driver Logan Sargeant finished 12th, tied for his second-best finish in his rookie year. He was announced as a member of Williams Racing at the 2021 race in Austin.

Sha’Carri Richardson presented USGP sprint trophies

This year’s United States Grand Prix featured a sprint race for the first time, which is a shorter competition held on Saturday ahead of the main race on Sunday.

Max Verstappen won, beating runner-up Lewis Hamilton by a hearty 9.465 seconds. Charles Leclerc finished third.

Track star Sha’Carri Richardson presented the trophies to the trio. In August, she won her first 100 meters women’s title at the world championships with a record time of 10.65 seconds.

Daniel Ricciardo returned to race at the USGP

Daniel Ricciardo is a fan favorite in the United States for his sense of humor and how he embraces American culture. He’s also a friend to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Ricciardo made his return at the United States Grand Prix after breaking his hand at the Dutch Grand Prix in August. The AlphaTauri driver finished 17th in the main race from 15th.

He showed his love for Austin with his helmet, which was colored burnt orange as a tribute to his Honey Badger nickname and also featured a badger wearing a Texas Longhorns football uniform.

Prince Harry among celebrities at 2023 USGP

The United States Grand Prix welcomed Prince Harry, who attended the race as a guest of Mercedes. He chatted with team principal Toto Wolff and George Russell ahead of the race. The Duke of Sussex has been a longtime supporter of Formula 1 and presented Fernando Alonso the trophy when he won the 2011 British Grand Prix.

Heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua and golfer Rory McIlroy joined Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes as investors in Alpine Racing this week. While Kelce and Mahomes had a game of their own, Joshua and McIlroy were at the race. Joshua spoke with Martin Brundle on the grid and also shared a message with drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly during their formation lap.

Elon Musk made a splash at the Circuit of the Americas, showing up in a futurstic silver truck that had the crowd yelling his name. The tech mogul brought his son X with him to enjoy the race.

Other stars in attendance included popstar Joe Jonas, media personality Gayle King, actresses Chloë Grace Moretz and Rachel Brosnahan, deejay Tiesto and sprinters Sha'Carri Richardson (who awarded the sprint trophies on Saturday) and Dina Asher-Smith.